"Erestor?!" Elladan exclaimed in surprise, his eyes widening as his attention was pulled in by Glorfindel's tale. Glorfindel's fingers were combing lightly through the young elflord's hair, making small decorative braids as he considered where to pick up the story. It wouldn't do to give all the details, or they'd be there for a century. So he thought of the more noteworthy.

"It was fifty years into First Age when Ulmo—" he paused, raising a brow. "You remember who Ulmo is, correct?" he asked, and Elladan nodded. It had been Erestor's job to teach the boys history when they were elflings, but Glorfindel would occasionally substitute. "Well, Ulmo told Turgon and Finrod to build Gondolin, and we set to work. I took Erestor under my wing — he was younger than you are now, and had lost everyone. He was remarkably good at masking his grief, though. Don't tell him I said any of this... He'll do something horrible to me," Glorfindel smiled, and Elladan laughed.

"So, Erestor is an ancient, too?" Elladan asked curiously, but Glorfindel shook his head.

"He was born in Aman," Glorfindel explained, and rose to his feet to walk out on the balcony with Elladan, to continue his story. "This was his first time in Middle Earth, and though I had been here before, it was an entirely new experience," he said, staring off into the distance. Elladan didn't speak, watching his mentor intently. Who knew when Glorfindel would share such knowledge again.

"When Gondolin was built, I was made Chief of the House of the Golden Flower. Erestor went his own way, then. I would not see him again until I joined with Lord Elrond," he concluded his brief time with Erestor in his young years. He took a moment to study Elladan, amused at the colour in the elf's face. Nobody save for Elrond knew that they'd met before.

"But that was when you met Ecthelion!" Elladan exclaimed suddenly, recognition of this period in Glorfindel's life coming to his mind, and excitement grew. The twins' favourite tale had always been that of Glorfindel's great deeds. Glorfindel laughed gently, placing a hand on Elladan's shoulder to calm him.

"Yes, that was when I became close with Ecthelion. We were Lords at Gondolin together, and often went out riding together," he explained, his gaze growing far away as he recounted history again.